Garment hanger



Feb. 1, 1955 w, CQHEN {701,821

GARMENT HANGER Filed D90. 29, 1952 JNVEN TOR.

WJL LIAM COHEN ATTORNEY United States Patent GARMENT HANGER William Cohen, New York, N. Y., assignor to Hilton Tool and Machine Co., Bronx, N. Y., a firm Application December 29, 1952, Serial No. 328,467

4 Claims. (Cl. 223-85) The present application relates to an improvement in garment or clothes hangers and more particularly relates to those hangers intended for use in a suitcase, wardrobe trunk or the like.

Hangers of the general type in question are not new. They are usually provided with a body or frame for supporting the garment, a hook for securing the hanger within the particular piece of luggage, and another larger hook for supporting the hanger on a rod such as normally found in a clothes closet. As a result, the same hanger can be used to transport clothing for the traveller and to hang the clothing at ones destination.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved hanger of the above type which is easy to manufacture, and more etficient in its operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved means for locking the hanger in position when placed in the transporting medium.

A still further object is to provide a unitary element which serves both to secure the larger hook to the hanger and to lock the hanger to the transporting medium.

Further objects and advantages will become readily apparent from reading the following detailed description of an embodiment of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a hanger embodying the present invention, with the larger hook engaging a clothes rod (shown in cross-section).

Fig. 2 is a detailed fragmentary side view of the connector and locking element portion of the invention, drawn to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view showing the invention with the small hook lockingly engaged with a support in a suitcase.

Fig. 4 is a detailed fragmentary view of the connector and locking element portion of the invention showing the locking element in intermediate position.

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a detailed fragmentary view similar to Fig. 4, showing the locking element in operative position.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a top view of the structure shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a detailed sectional view taken on line 9--9 of Fi 2.

its seen from the drawings, the hanger comprises a main body portion 10, formed from wire of suitable diameter. The wire is bent to provide the opposing sloping sides 11 and 12 joined at their lower ends by an interconnecting portion 13. Near their free ends, the sides 11 and 12 are bent into a plane parallel to portion 13 to thereby form portions 14 and 15, the ends of which are bent again at right angles thereto to provide portions 16 and 17. This is best seen in Fig. 5.

A connector 20 is provided in the form of a metal stamping which is suitably embossed to provide between the mating halves, when folded, a plurality of channels extending from the outer edges inwardly to a central cavity. These channels are best seen in the sectional view of Fig. 5 wherein they are numbered 21, 22, and 24, while the cavity is designated 23. When assembled, the hanger portions 14 and 15 .of the hanger body lie in the channels 21 and 22, respectively, with the ends 16 and 17 projecting into the cavity 23. As seen in Figs. 2 and 8, the free ends of the hanger body are securely anchored. A small hook 25 and eye 26 interconnected by the shank 27, formed from wire similar to that used in 2,701,082 Patented Feb. 1, 1955 the body of the hanger (it may be of different diameter), is also embraced by the halves of the connector with shank 27 lying in channel 24. See Fig. 5, for example.

The large hook element 30 having an eye 31 at one end of the shank 32 (see Fig. 9) is also formed from still wire and pivotally fastened to the connector 20 by means of locking element 35 and a rivet 36, which is headed over or upset in a conventional manner. (See Figs. 2, 4, and 7, for example.) As shown, the rivet is caused to pass through the eye 26 (Fig. 5), associated with small hook 25 to thereby further secure and position hook 25 within the connector 20.

As best seen in Fig. 9, locking element 35, which may also be in the form of a metal stamping, is provided with a first portion containing a depression 37 for receiving the eye 31 and a portion of the shank 32 of the hook 30, as well as a broad blade-like extension 38. Note that the corners of extension 38 have been removed at 39 and 40. Due to the depression 37, the element 35 is secured or keyed against rotation relative to hook 30. It can be seen that when hook 30 is rotated into the position shown in Fig. 1, to enable the hanger to be placed on a closet rod, the extension 38 is disposed on the opposite side of pivot 36, and functions in the same manner as a washer to retain the hook 30 in place.

However, when the small hook 25 is employed to attach the hanger to a thin rod, hook, strap or the like, as in a suitcase (see Fig. 3), the hook 30 can be rotated thereby swinging extension 38 alongside small hook 25 in such manner that the broad edge 41 will prevent the hook 25 from slipping off its support. The removal of the corners at 39 and 40 permit the extension 38 to swing past the supporting rod, as shown in Fig. 4, and still present edge 41 sufficiently close to the top of hook 25 to prevent its removal from its support. Note also Fig. 6.

Having now fully described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A garment hanger for use selectively in combination with either a stationary or a transportable support comprising a skeleton wire frame bent to provide a transverse trouser-supporting bar and two upwardly and inwardly directed garment-shoulder-supporting bars having their ends adjacent and extending upwardly in a plane common with the skeleton frame, a first hook element for engagement with a support in a transporting medium, said hook element having a shank and an eye portion which is disposed between said upwardly extending adjacent ends of said frame, a connector lockingly embracing and securing together said wire ends and said shank and eye portions of said first hook, a locking tab pivoted to said connector to swing in a plane parallel to that occupied by said first hook, the length of said tab from the center of its pivot to its free extremity being such that it may swing under a support rod on which said first hook is supported, and when so positioned, will confine said rod in said first hook to prevent dislodgment of said first hook from said rod, a second hook for removable en gagement with a stationary support, said hook being open atively keyed to said locking tab and extending in a direction diametrically opposite that of said locking tab, whereby when the locking tab is in operative position, the second hook will be out of operative position, and when said second hook is swung to operative position tosupport the hanger on a stationary support, the locking tab will be removed from restraining engagement with respect to said first hook to permit removal thereof from its support.

2. A garment hanger according to claim 1 wherein said second hook element comprises a length of wire formed at one end to provide a hook and at the other end to provide an eye, and wherein said locking element comprises a tonguelike member provided with an embossed cavity to receive said eye, whereby said tonguelike member is keyed to said second hook element.

3. A garment hanger according to claim 1, wherein said connector includes a single rivet passing through and joining said locking tab, said eye of the first hook element, and an eye forming part of said second hook element.

4. A garment hanger according to claim 1 wherein said second hook element comprises a length of wire formed at on; end to pIOidCha hook 351:} alti the (lather end to References Cited in the file of this patent provi e an eye, an w erein sai oc ing e ement comprises a tongue-like member provided with an embossed FOREIGN PATENTS cavity to receive said eye, whereby said tongue-like mem- 465,253 Canada May 23, 1950 her is keyed to said second hook element, and wherein 5 438,032 Great Britain Nov. 11, 1935 said connector includes a single rivet passing through and joining said locking tab, said eye of the first hook element, and an eye forming part of said second hook element. 

